Process and apparatus for cleaning wells



C. E. M GEE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WELLS April 29 1924.

Filed June 18. 1923 /NV E N TOR CHARLES 5. W655 AT TORNE Y a citizen of the United States, residin Patented Apr. 29', 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. MOGEE, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OI ONE-HALF TO DAVID a G. LORRAINE, 0] LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WELLS.

Application filed. June 18, 1928. Serial No. 646,127.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. MoGEE,

Long Beach, county of Los Angeles, tate of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes and Aparatus for Cleaning Wells, of which the ollowin is a specification.

It is t e object of this invention to rovide for cleaning oil wells and the ike while the well is flowing and without leakage and waste of the oil, the"cleaning of the well being accomplished by dischar ing a flushing medium such as oil, throug a pipe inserted in the well casing, with said pipe adapted to be lowered to any desired depth, while maintaining a leak-proof conmotion between the pipe and the well casing above the point of oil discharge from the latter.-

It is a further object of the invention to provide for cleaning a, well by means of a flushing pipe while automatically checking back flow through said pipe.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide for closing the opening through which the flushing pipe is adapted to be inserted in the well casing, said closure means bein above the opening in said casing adapte for discharge of the flow from he well; and to provide for placing said flushing pipe in operative osition and removing the same without oss of oil from the flowing well, by mounting a stufiing box on the well casing above said closure means, and connecting the sections of the flushing pipe so as to form a pipe of uniform exterior diameter, in order that said flushing pipe may be readily slid through the stufiing box while maintaining a leakproof connection between said casing and said pipe; the closure means being opened after the pipe is mounted in the stufiing box to permit lowering of said pipe into the well casing, and said closure means being shut oil after withdrawal of the pipe past the same and before removal of said pipe from the stuffing box.

Further objects of the invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a well casing, with the well cleaning apparatus mounted therein and shown artl in vertical section and partly in eevat on.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are transverse sections on the lines 2-2, 33, and 44 of Fig. 1. The well cleaning apparatus is adapted tobe mounted in a well having usual casmg 1, the head '2 which is mounted on said casing and which is adapted for discharge of the flow from said well through either of the transverse ports 3 in said head, havmg a port 4 in the top thereof in alinement with t e bore of the well. A casing 5 is connected to port 4 by a usual threaded connection, and extends upwardly in alinement withthe bore of the well, said casing having closure means mounted therein, shown as a usual gate valve 6. The stationary portion 7 of a usual stuffmg box is fixed upon the up or end of cats ing 5, as by a usual threa ed connection,

and the follower 8 of said stuiring box, which is adapted to bear against packing 9 in the bore of the stufling box, is arranged for usual adjustment by bolts 10. The upper portion of the follower has a tapered bore 11 adapted to receive usual slips 12. V

A flushing pipe is adapted to be inserted in the well through casing 5, when valve 6 is opened and the stufiing box is mounted on said casing so as to engage the pipe and form a leak-proof connection between the latter and said casing. The pipe is of a diameter permitting free flow of the well through casing 1 and around said pipe, and is of relatively thick material in order that the sections 13 of said pipe may be provided with internal separable connections adapted to form the exterior of said pi e of a uniform diameter throughout its length.

threaded collar 18. The partition 16 has a valve seat 19 formed therein, with. a

s ringpressed valve head 20 cooperating-- t erewith and'automatically closing; against upward flow through the flushing pipe.

When the flushing pipe is removed from the well, valve 6 is closed so that the entire flow of. the well is discharged throughv ports 3 in usual manner, said ports having pipes 21 connected thereto with valves 22 in said pipes for regulating the flow.

When the flushing pipe is to be inserted in a flowing well, the lowermost section of the pipe is positioned in the upper end of casing 5 above closed valve 6, and the stuff ing box is received over said pipe and fixed to casing 5, the length of casing 5 between valve 6 and the stuffing box being sufiicient to receive the length of the enlargement 17 of the lower section of the pipe, in order that the packing'of the stufiing box will engage only the portion of'the flushing pipewhich is above said enlargement and which is of uniformdiameter.

Any desired number of sections 13 may be added to the flushing ipe extending upwardly through the stu ng box, and when valve 6 is opened, the pipe may be lowered to any desired depth in the well, the uniform exterior of the pipe permitting the same to readily slide through the stufling box, withpacking 9 engaging said pipe soas to maintaina leak-proof connection betweenthe same and easing 5.

The flushing pipe is fixed at any desired depth by slips 12 wedged in bore 11 and engaging said pipe, and the check valve in the lower end of the pipe prevents back flow from the well through the same, until the pipe is connected at its upper end to-a suitable oil supply, when said oil is discharged through the pipe and past the check valve, so as to wash sand and the like-upwardlythrough casing 1 along with the flow from the well. l

The flow. from the well having the sand mixed therewith is allowed to settle in usual manner, anda portion of the clean oil above the settled sand may form the supply of flushing oil' for the pipe 13.

When it is desired to withdraw the flush-- ing pipe, it is elevated to av point above valve 6' which is then closed, and the stufling box is-then disengaged from the pipe in order that the latter may be removed. In order to raise or lower the flushing pipe, a usual elevator (not shown) may be fixed on the pipe above the stufling box, the'withdrawal of slips 12 permitting of adjustment:

of said-pipe, and the positioning of said slips holding the pipe at any desired depth in the well.

. It willthus be seen that I have provided for withdrawing ,or inserting, or varying thedepthof a flushing pipe in a well, while the latter is flowing, without the possibility of leakage .or-waste of; oil during said operation. x p

It will bepapparent that various changes may be-madein the construction, combination, and arrangement. of parts as'thus described, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1-. The process of; cleaning flowing wells which consistsof flushing a well through a pipe'insert'ed therein, and: varying the depth of said pipe while maintaining a leak-proof connection between the pipe and the. well casing. and discharging the flow of said well through said casing at a point below said leak-proof connection.

2. he 'process' o'f cleaning flowing wells which consists of: flushin a well through a pipe inserted. therein w 'ile automatically checking. back flow through said; pipe, and varying; the depth of said pipe" while maintaining a leak proof connection between the same and the well-casing and discharging the flow of said well from said casing at a point below said leak-proof connection.

3. The process of cleaning-flowing wells which consists of shutting off the casing of a Well above the discharge meanstherefrom,

insertinga flushing pipein. said casing above said. shut-oft means, forming a leak-proof,

connection between said pipeand said casing above said shut-off means, opening said shut-off means, and sliding said pipe through said leak-proof connection to any desired depth in said casing, and discharging a flushing fluid through said pipe into said casing; I a

4. A well cleanin'gfiapparatus including -a flushing pipe adapted to-be inserted in a well casing, and means for maintaining a leakproof connection" between said pi e and cas- 1ng while varying the depth 0 said pipe in said casing.

5. A well cleaning apparatus including a:

flushing pipe adapted to be inserted in a well casing and: comprising pipe sections having means for connecting the same so as- 7. The combination, with a well casing I having an open end and means for discharg-' mg theiflew.;z-from isaid' casing below said open end, of closure means in said casing between said open end and said discharge means, a flushingl pipe adapted to be inserted in said casing t rough said open end when said closure means is opened, and means for maintaining 'a leak-proof connection between said pipe and the open end of said casing while varying the depth of said pipe in said casing.

8. A well cleaning apparatus including a flushing pipe adapted to be inserted in a well casing, a check valve in said pipe for preventing back flow through the same, and means for maintaining a leak-proof connection between said pipe and easing while itSlOWG! end and the upper end of its envarying the depth of said pipe in said casmg.

9. The combination with a well casmg having an open end and means for discharging the flow from said casing below said open end, of closure means in said casing between said open end and said discharge means, a flushing pi e having an enlargement at its lower end a check valve in said enlargement for preventing back flow through said pipe, said pipe being adapted to be inserted in said casing through said open end and past said closure means when the latter is opened, and means for maintaining a leak-proof connection between said pipe and the open end of said casing while varying the depth of said pi e in said casing, said leak-proof connection eing spaced from said closure means a distance eater than the length of said pipe between largement.-

In testimony whereof I have signed mv name to this specification.

CHARLES E. MCGEE. 

